He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Bronco - Week 10

Doc BearNov 16, 2010 3:00 PM

Sunday’s game made the opportunity to choose the two top Heavies, and brought with it the impossibility of choosing only one from each side of the ball. Both the renewed offensive line and the play on the defensive line were absolutely top drawer. Kyle Orton barely got a grass stain on his uni, while Matt Cassel was sacked 4 times and hurries and knockdowns came with clockwork regularity - a fitting outcome to the Broncos cleaning his clock, and those of the team around him.

KC just wasn’t ready for Denver. It might have been the expectation that a 2-6 team with multiple problems wouldn’t be much of a challenge. It might have been that Josh McDaniels just plain out-coached Todd Haley, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis. The Chiefs fans that I’ve talked to have in great part blamed their injuries, particularly in their defensive secondary and the need to bring Shaun Smith to the DL, but given what Denver has dealt with this season, their cries have fallen on deaf ears in my case. I’m sorry to not be buying, but Denver is still missing Elvis Dumervil, Robert Ayers, and Andre' Goodman. At this point in the season, it’s a rare - and usually winning - team that hasn’t suffered some major injury difficulties. Some of them have greater depth than Denver or KC, some just have been fortunate in this area.

But there’s one thing that’s for certain - no one is likely to be sympathetic. During the second half of the season, every player has some degree of dings and injuries, and most are capable of playing through them safely. Almost every team is putting out on the field a group of men who take enormous pride in playing hurt, in not giving up regardless of their pain levels. KC has had the benefit of a lot of high draft choices, and Tyson Jackson missing most of the games hasn’t concerned me. Eric Berry may be their best secondary player, and he was out there doing his thing, and usually doing it well. Most of their team was out there, and their OL was essentially intact, including having Casey Wiegmann starting at center, and certainly desirous of showing Denver what a mistake they made in letting him go.

Put gently, it didn’t go that way. The rotation of the nose tackles for Denver - usually Jamal Williams and Ron Fields, with Marcus Thomas taking snaps all along the line - proved too much for Wiegmann. The Denver DL required double teams, and that always opens the holes for the LBs to flash to the QB or the RB. Mario Haggan had three sacks and Jason Hunter added a fourth and took a fumble - caused by a perfect Haggan Hammer on Cassel - and returned it to the Chiefs' end zone for a quick 6. I thought for quite a while about the fact that these are two of the players that fit the Denver LB mold, the oversized LBs that McDaniels prizes (Haggan is listed at 267 and Hunter at 271) and about a recent discussion I had with a fan who claimed that they are too big to handle coverage, too slow to react to plays. They are, in their way, also Heavies, and I thought about handing this week’s prize to one of them.

Wiegmann’s hopes of knocking off his old team also took a hit through the play of JD Walton. It was certainly Walton’s best game of his young career. The return and play of the entire offensive line for Denver was everything that Broncos Country has been waiting for, hoping for, and wishing for. It may have been worth the wait, and I also considered handing the weekly Offensive Heavy Award to the line in totem. But in the end, I didn’t do either.

The He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Bronco on the defensive side of the ball is going to Justin Bannan this week. After admitting that the Oakland game was the most embarrassing and upsetting loss he’s ever been involved with, Bannan was a man mountain on a mission. It’s still true that more often than not, 3-4 defensive lineman (or 5-2, although Denver played less of that this past weekend) are not there to rack up gaudy stats or to make headlines. If they do deserve a headline, it tends to be negative more often than not. But by the end of my fourth viewing of the game, it was clear that Bannan had been a monstrous thorn in KC’s (strong) side throughout the entire game. His hit on Cassel that hurried a throw and created an incompletion - the ball wasn’t anywhere near a white jersey - also left a Cassel-sized dent in the Mile High turf. It was a single play, and as I’ve said - that’s not a big deal in and of itself. It was Bannan’s relentless harassment of the RT and the RG that left the holes which Joe Mays used to repeatedly introduce himself to Jamaal Charles.

I got the impression that Charles was somewhat shocked that his power and speed - which are impressive, without question - didn’t knock Mays backward. On several plays, it looked like Charles had run straight into a cinder block wall - Mays stood him up, and tossed him back down. Without Bannan’s play on the offensive right side, Mays - who usually lined up at LILB during the game, although he seemed to be handling the LOLB at other times - couldn’t have had those straight passages to the KC backfield and LOS. Bannan’s work is remarkable - his technique is excellent, and his power undeniable. He’s a classic lineman - laconic, quiet around reporters, speaking simply when he speaks at all, and does his serious talking on the playing field. He Ain’t Heavy - He’s Our Bronco. But don’t try telling KC that he ain’t heavy - that’s 310 lb+ of mean out there at LDE, and all of it was on his best game when KC came to town.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Heavy was equally tough to choose. JD Walton, as mentioned, showed all and sundry exactly why he was drafted by Denver and why keeping and playing Wiegmann wouldn’t have been in Denver’s best interest. The professor who taught me martial arts liked to say that old age and treachery will conquer youth and skill. Not this time. Not at all. Walton had a great game, and the connection between the OL and the running game has rarely been more apparent. With holes the size of mountain passes, Moreno galloped to his first 100-plus yard game.

Playing next to Walton in a regular season game for the first time, Zane Beadles showed that any flaw that might have created struggles for him at right tackle was immaterial once he was settled at left guard. In Beadles' place at right tackle, Ryan Harris (another option for this week’s Heavy) reminded KC that he was an All-Pro before his series of injuries, while to Beadles' left, Ryan Clady moved laterally better than I’ve seen from him all year. Beadles responded by moving more people than Van Line Movers. If they were his assignment, Beadles gave them a warm, hearty welcome and drove them out of his - and Knowshon Moreno’s - way, and then frequently pounded his way into the second level, looking for more people to hit.

It was a very difficult choice, but this week’s offensive Heavy goes to Zane Beadles, with my congratulations for finding what I hope will be his home for the next 10 or more years. Any concerns that Broncos Country may have had about the two rookies playing next to each other in the center of the line should have been laid to rest by this performance. Beadles is the one who has had to constantly work on his skills at right tackle. He generally played left tackle in college at Utah - of his 50 starts, 38 came as the left bookend, while the other 12 were at left guard.

Beadles was also the first of the rookie linemen to say that he was studying - on his own, with no coach’s request - all of the positions, so that he’d know what his position mates were doing on every down and to increase his versatility, a comment that had to warm Josh McDaniels’ heart. And he did have to move to a position that he’d never played and for which he was not well-suited. He never complained, he fought hard even though it wasn’t his appropriate position, and when he was finally moved back to where he started college, and where he started training camp, it was immediately obvious that he was a heck of a draft pick, and a heck of a player. He’s earned this week’s Heavy.

Congratulations to these two players on winning this week’s awards. There is a tough game coming up this Monday, and every one of those mentioned today (as well as a whole lot of other players) will have to have equally good games just to earn the chance to beat the Bolts. KC had the best running game in the NFL - which does you little good when you’re down by 25 points at the half. San Diego has the best passing game in the NFL, and Philip Rivers is the best QB against the blitz in the league. It doesn’t let up, and playing the best is how you become the best. Denver showed how well they understand that last Sunday, and they’re going to have to do it again next week. Somehow, I have the impression that if they play equally well, they have a chance to steal one in SD. Norv Turner’s Lightning Lads haven’t lost a game in November or December since his tenure started. He was taught the intricacies of the Don Coryell system in Dallas as an offensive coordinator, and then returned to SD to put it into place in the home in which it began. Denver isn’t supposed to have a chance.

But they said that when KC came to town. Somehow, Denver just didn’t get the memo. I’m hoping that they’re equally effective against the Chargers. There’s a division title that no one has claimed yet this year. It’s possible that Denver could yet come back and take it.

Go Broncos!

Learn to laugh at yourself. You will be ceaselessly amused. - Sri Gary Olsen

You can reach Doc at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter @alloverfatman

Related

Great question, AZ. I don&#8217t recall either, which is a comment on the OL by itself. This new lineup really outdid itself. Does anyone recall?

Posted by Doc Bear on 2010-11-19 02:49:28

Thanks Doc, great read as usual. Any idea when the last time was that our team didn&#8217t give up a sack? My memory is poor, but it seems it&#8217s been a while.

Posted by azdenfan on 2010-11-19 02:43:32

Thanks for your response Doc, most helpful.

Posted by SteveUk on 2010-11-18 08:19:00

Great review Doc. I agree wholeheartedly about both of your selections. Bannan was an absolute terror this game. I hope he keeps it up&#8230he and JWill really added alot to our 1st half defense with their play.

Posted by Sadaraine on 2010-11-17 22:42:48

If I take the glass half full approach, one good thing going into San Diego is that the Dolts don&#8217t get a lot of film on this offensive line playing together this year; hopefully that limits their ability to prepare.

I want the next three division games more than anything this year&#8230well, that and St. Louis, since I&#8217ll probably be there.

Posted by jtomasik on 2010-11-17 12:41:30

Great questions, Steve. Let me try to answer them.

1. As I said in a comment (I think - it&#8217s starting to run together - Beadles played 50 games in college, and 12 were at left guard, with the other 38 at LT (has had trouble with the lateral movement, and it&#8217s worse to the right). I think that the college experience was helpful, having been in both positions on the left side. So was his decision to learn every position on the Broncos OL, including center.

He also did get a chance to play there some in preseason, although without Clady, so he and Walton have some time together. It helps.

2. Jamal Williams - Well, you were a rugby guy. Some day were just better than others. With everyone else coming from everywhere, Jamal took full advantage, as you&#8217d expect from a player with his experience. And, as he drew more attention, the other guys had more fun.

In the second half, I don&#8217t think that Cassel was being pressured as much, but that was in great part due to the &#8216prevent&#8217 aspect of the defense, with less rushing the passer and bigger pads for the receivers. Denver was far enough up that I didn&#8217t even mind, which is unusual for me. Williams outweighs Wiegmann by about 50 lb, and that helped too, especially since when he&#8217s &#8216on&#8217 he&#8217s using technique as well as his weight and power.

I also think that the fact that both lines, for once, were at full strength, and the DL could be rotated at will was helpful. The return of Vickerson made a big difference, and that, too, helped. Imagine Vickerson at 326 coming at you when Jamal weighs about 348 and is tearing at you from the next slot over, simultaneously. Bannan is &#8216only&#8217 310, but with his technique, he plays like he&#8217s at least 15 lb heavier, and runs, as you said, very well for a big guy.

Marcus Thomas looks faster this year - lost that weight? Nope, 316, so he&#8217s another monster and has his &#8216pop&#8217 back. Fields is about the same, officially 314 and can play at any position on the line, as can Bannan and Thomas. That&#8217s a huge group of men. McBean is a lightweight at 297, but he&#8217s up a bit from last year and has hit the weight room under Herr Tuten. We&#8217ll lose Jamal first, but with the guys that we have and one more addition this offseason, Denver is in good shape for a few years.

Other than Jamal at 34, Bannan is 31 but in great shape and has no real injury issues, Fields is 29 and has no real injury issues, Marcus Thomas is 25 and Vickerson 27 with McBean at 25 as well. In other words - we&#8217ve got most of these guys for a good while to come, and that means consistency and communication.

I think that the bye helped everyone, and McD&#8217s comment to the team that this meant that they could start the season over was a great little coaching talk. It worked, too. <img alt="wink" height="19" src="http://www.singernet.com/images/smileys/wink.gif" style="border:0;" width="19">

I hope that this helps - be well, my friend.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2010-11-17 10:02:30

Great article once again Doc, hope you are keeping well.

It is nice to see the big, often overlooked, fellas getting some credit where it is definitely due. I am a rugby man and played prop so definitely identify with them more than the flashy guys!

It is great to hear that Beadles played so well in the LG position. I suppose only time will tell whether this performance marks the start of things to come but in the long term are the Broncos a stronger team because Beadles has the experience and the flexibility at other positions before playing LG? If he had been put straight into the LG position he would not have gained this experience.

Another comment that strikes me is the note that Jamal Williams was commanding double teams. In the game against the 49ers what struck me was that it appeared from where I was sitting in the top tier that he was often only being blocked by one player. Do you think that the bye week has freshened him up? or Was it just because of the personnel he was up against? or Was it because the D line was at full strength and meant that he could be rotated more?

Posted by SteveUk on 2010-11-17 08:30:27

Great post, Doc.

I did not see the game but caught some of the highlights - but I wanted to comment on a couple of things:

I saw Bannan - all 310 lbs of him - running behind Jason Hunter towards the end zone. I watched it several times but he does have some good speed. I have always liked him - even back at CU. Glad he is a Bronco. I was also impressed with Champ&#8217s speed. He whooshed by everyone.

Then on another highlight - I think the TD to Gaffney - I saw Walton without a guy directly in front of him to block - retreated a couple of yards into the backfield to block for Orton should anyone come around the end or thru the line. That to me was impressive for him to have the presence of mind to do that.

I am thrilled for Beadles that he has a home at LG.

Thanks, Doc, for your time and energy.

Posted by BlackKnight on 2010-11-17 05:56:11

Holy Canoli&#8230I just watched Mays plaster Moeaki. Dang&#8230Mays is a fireplug! I hope they play him a lot.

Posted by jtomasik on 2010-11-17 03:24:57

Doc, gotcha. I guess I could see him in limited practice, but ya&#8217d think that if the guy could play, he&#8217d at least be doing no impact aerobics like a stationary bike. The blood flow would definitely be beneficial. But, that&#8217s just speculation. I guess we&#8217ll see. He can prove it for the next 7 games. Let&#8217s see if he&#8217s that good and if he&#8217s durable.

Posted by jtomasik on 2010-11-17 03:10:02

What I mean is that he&#8217s been playing on a bad hammie since training camp - the Broncos have been mentioning it all season. This IS the first game that he&#8217s been healthy, and he mentioned it the week before (so did McD).

Your comment that started &#8216Regardless&#8217 just isn&#8217t medically accurate. It&#8217s normal for players who are playing with this type of injury to not practice much or at all during the week - the injury will commonly become flared in some degree during the games and the coaches protect the player by letting him heal. Of course that affects their wind - but the alternative is to not let the leg finish healing.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2010-11-17 01:16:48

Doc, no doubt Moreno looked much better this last game than he ever has (at least in my memory). If I remember right, he looked winded awfully quick.

I&#8217m not sure what you mean by, &#8220Moreno had his first game back without injury and ran for over 100 yards&#8230.&#8221

I guess I don&#8217t know how you define &#8220first game back without injury&#8221. You&#8217ll need to elaborate. Do you mean the first game of the season? Moreno didn&#8217t run for 100 there. The next &#8220first game back after injury was the Jets game, right? He didn&#8217t run for 100 in that game. I think the only game he ran for over 100 was the Chefs game last Sunday. Am I correct?

Regardless, he&#8217s been running since the Jets game, and he still looked winded early in the Chiefs game. To me, that&#8217s disheartening. I&#8217d think if the guy&#8217s able to run in several consecutive games, injured or not, then he&#8217d be training as well.

I hope what we saw last Sunday is indicative of what he can do when the lanes are opened up. His first TD of that game was admittedly impressive as it looked like HE threw the defender to the turf. Completing plays in that way will definitely make up for speed, somewhat. I hope he continues to improve his production. I also hope last Sunday is just a sign of more to come from him. We all know without the run game, this team isn&#8217t much of a threat to win.

One game, in my book, doesn&#8217t justify a first round pick. 10 games will this season&#8230and the next after that&#8230and so on&#8230

Posted by jtomasik on 2010-11-16 22:49:40

I don&#8217t know, JT. I&#8217ve watched the game 5 times now, and I saw Moreno break several LB tackles. Speed, not really - but stamina? You know that he&#8217s coming back from an injury that didn&#8217t permit him to run, right?

As fans, we&#8217re harder than heck on the players. Moreno had his first game back without injury and ran for over 100 yards and a TD. On that TD, he was caught at the 5 by a linebacker, with a safety in front of him,and he fought off both guys. After jumping out of the ankle tackle by the LB, he was right by the sideline with the safety in his way.

The safety caught him between the two and the three, close to the sideline, and Moreno fought to the inside and crossed the goal line with the safety fighting to move him to the outside and/or take him down. Moreno basically flipped the safety (Carr) over his body in a move that was half Tai Otoshi from judo as they hit the end zone.

I thought that that was a big-time move. I wasn&#8217t big on Moreno, and I don&#8217t think that he&#8217s suited for the ZB running approach, but with the new OL and his ability to catch and run in space, I have no complaints at all. Was he worth a first round pick? Looked like it this week.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2010-11-16 22:28:38

With the line that I saw in the last game, it&#8217d sure be awesome if we had a running back who could not only break into the linebackers, but also explode for a solid 40 yards into the end zone. Moreno just doesn&#8217t show the speed and stamina to break away&#8230he never has. Was he worth a first round pick? Not yet. Hopefully that changes soon.

Posted by jtomasik on 2010-11-16 21:57:51

A run back on a missed field goal is acceptable especially if the team manages to tackle the guy. What is not acceptable is missing a field goal so bad that it can be returned. I remember Shanny would trot out Elam to make or miss a record or close to a record FG at the end of a half. Then one time Miami returned it for a TD. Giving Miami a lead and momentum and a win. Elam never got to try his long FGs again. See FG protection doesn&#8217t have tacklers on them.

Posted by sleepyteak on 2010-11-16 20:48:14

Can&#8217t argue the picks, but Ryan Harris really looked good at RT, running ahead to block like a bison being irritated. It was certainly his best game of the year and gives me hope his nagging injuries are getting better. Given the youth of this line, imagine what they&#8217ll be like in 2-3 years of playing with one another. Wow.

I love the choice of Bannan who may go unnoticed because of his unglamorous position, but boy did he whup the Chiefs on Sunday. And Mays - he knocked Charles silly on one play that typified his play all day.

It&#8217s a weird year for this Broncos team. They had a challenging schedule in the first half and couldn&#8217t seem to find an identity. Then out of the blue comes this game. Will the real Broncos please show up every week like this. When they play like that they&#8217re a match for anyone.

I remain concerned about special teams play. The run back on the missed field goal was unacceptable.